Why do some companies excel at lead generation and others don’t? Why do some strategies work and others fail? There are a number of unanswered questions when it comes to b2b lead generation; however if you identify the right leads and deploy methodologies and mechanics to nurture those leads; you can most certainly expect the good leads to convert into business.
Here is another blog that talks about the mechanics of lead generation in continuation to our previous blog that talked about ‘understanding lead generation’
Why is lead generation important for B2B?
Lead generation predominantly determines the success of sales for B2B organizations. Though lead gen is not the only way to make a sale; it brings you much closer to understanding the need and dynamics of the buying decisions of your prospects.
With a robust lead generation process you have higher chances of understanding your customers better and closing the deals faster!
Advantages of doing lead generation right:
- By understanding the buying patterns and preferences of customers; lead generation process helps you develop and nurture long term relationships. This gives you some loyal customers or buyers whom you can remarket to, later anytime and they are usually happy to buy from you again
- Enhances your chances of customer acquisition
- Reduces sales cycle and increases ROI in lesser time
So what qualifies as a good lead?
Sales processes become tricky if you don’t identify the right lead. If the sales team takes the wrong lead through different stages of the sales funnel; it will only be a waste of time and efforts. It is therefore very important to identify the right lead.
One can identify the right leads based on the following factors:
- Identifying the exact needs of the customer
- Knowing whether your services truly align with their needs
- Identifying the budget capacities of the lead
- How urgent is the need of your customer to get their challenges solved
- Is your customer the actual decision maker in the buying process?
Deploying the right mechanics of Lead generation:
As much as the landing page is important in attracting leads and engaging them further; it would fail in attracting the right leads without the use of the following elements:
Lead capture forms:
A lead capture form is a very important part of your landing page or even as a part of your overall lead-gen strategy. Without a lead-gen form you simply cannot succeed at capturing the right leads at the right time. But what’s even more important is how well placed is your lead gen form; how precise and less time consuming it is for your customers to fill it in and how well do you leverage the information once you get it!
A well designed form that assures your customers of the safety of their information; keeping the form short and concise with only necessary information can almost always encourage and not discourage customers to give away their information happily.
The information you get from this form can also help you personalize your offers, and services further ahead.
Call-to actions:
If you think this is just a button and not a significant part of your landing page; think again. Call to action is critical in making your customers take action in engaging with you by either contacting you or filling in the form to give away their information.
Having a clear plan:
An effective lead generation plan with clear objectives will only increase your chances in succeeding at it. Here are some elements that need to be a part of the bigger plan of any lead generation campaign
- Identify your goals that should show clarity on the quantity of leads you are looking for and most importantly determine the quality of these leads
- Take efforts to generate brand awareness. It is crucial in establishing a trust factor with your prospects.
- Define buyer personas and target companies and have a clear road map as to how you plan to engage the personas
- Don’t let any opportunity to gather relevant information of your prospect go away. Capture the perfect information once the prospect shows interest in your product or service
- Nurturing leads should be a critical part of your lead generation plan and it’s the most important investment you will make
- Analyzing and fine-tuning your lead generation process after you get the results is equally important for you to improvise and re-tune your strategies for better results each time
Conclusion:
Not to mention that you also need to be well-equipped with competent content that supports your lead generation objectives and strategies. Whether you are new to the lead generation process or you have been in the game for some time; following certain methods and having clear goals always helps.